By CASEY NEILL
Springvale Rise Primary School principal Annette Hilton has died following a short illness.
Greater Dandenong Councillor Sean O’Reilly expressed his condolences at the council’s 23 May meeting.
“Annette raised expectations and delivered a higher standard of education in Springvale using her own personalised learning system,” he said.
“This system was the culmination of all her experience in education and also involved visiting best practice in schools in Canada and applying the learnings in Springvale.
“Due to Annette’s leadership and passion, students in Springvale learnt not just what to achieve but how to achieve their very best.”
Cr O’Reilly said personalised learning was about each student setting their own high-level goals and striving for them, and many schools from across Australia visited Springvale Rise to study it.
Ms Hilton was Springvale Rise’s first principal and died on Friday 6 May at age 67.
The Victorian Principals Association acknowledged her contributions, saying in a tribute that “she was highly regarded for her personal qualities and as a school leader”.
Her school’s tribute described Ms Hilton as “an innovative and much-loved educator” and “a beautiful person … gone, but forever in our hearts”.
